Hunting garment



July 13, 1943. o. c. HANEY HUNTING GARMENT L Original Filed July 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l O/ LA N00 @051 5r HA/VE Y July 13, 1943. o. c. HANEY HUNTING GARMENT Original Filed July 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OfM/VDO 69051 EY///I/Vf7 Patented July 13, 1943 HUNTING GARMENT Orlando C. Haney, Pendleton, Greg.

Continuation of application Serial No. 348,956, July 31, 194.0. This application November 3, 1941, Serial No. 417,691

11 Claims.

This invention relates to hunting garments, and more particularly to a garment especially adapted for use in big game hunting, and is a continuation of my co-pending application Serial No. 348,958, filed July 31, 1940.

It is customary for hunters to Wear outer garments in the form of coats which extend a substantial distance below the waist, and to use in conjunction therewith a belt constructed so as to facilitate the carrying of implements commonly need u in hunting game, for example, axes, flash lights, hunting knives, etc. All of the various accessories with which a big game hunter is usually equipped represent substantial total weight which is usually carried by the belt referred to, and such belt is wholly unsupported except for its frictional engagement with the garment of the wearer with the principal weight supported on the hip bones. The carrying of this extra weight in the manner in which it is supported becomes not only quite tiring but even painful after the weight has been bearing for several hours against the hip bones of the wearer.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel hunting garment which embodies as a thereof an accessory-carrying belt having a novel constructional relation to the garment itself so as not only to provide easy means for attaching accessories to the belt but also to suspend the Weights of the accessories from the shoulders or" the wearer, thus rendering the useof the garment much less tiring than is usual with the customary accessory-carrying de vices.

A further object is to provide a relatively short garment which terminates approximately at the waist line with accessory-carrying belt so carried by and related to the garment as to evenly distribute the weight throughout a substantial portion of the length. of the lower edge or" the garment while at the same time rendering it extremely easy to attach accessory-articles to the belt.

A further object is to provide a hunting garment of the character referred to wherein the belt structure thereof is formed of a belt proper, and

accessory-carrying strap interlaced with respect thereto and provided with separable fastening means at one end detachable to permit the strap unlaced with respect to the belt proper whereby the strap may be threaded through the loops of accessorj cases.

A further object is to provide a structure of the character referred to wherein the separablefastening means is readily accessible but is protected against being accidentally engaged and unfastened.

A further object is to provide a novel arrangement of stitching for attaching the belt proper to the garment body so as to facilitate the lacing cf the article-supporting strap and so as to render the separably fastened end thereof particularly accessible.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings I have shown two embodiments of the invention. In this showing Fi ure 1 is a perspective view of the garment loo-king from the front thereof and showing it in position on a figure,

Figure 2 is a three-quarter rear View of a figure showing the garment in position,

Figure 3 is a side view of the same,

Figure 4 is a perspective View of an articlecarrying case, such as a flash li ht case, adapted to be carried by the garment,

Figure 5 is a face View of the garment shown completely opened.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line E of Figure 5,

Figure '7 is a similar view taken on line ll' of Figure 5,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on line (-;3 of Figure 5,

Figure 9 is a detail sectional View on line 9-9 or Figure 6,

Figure 10 is an inside face view of one end of one of the article supporting straps,

Figure llis a fragmentary sectional View corresponding to the central portion of Figure 6 showing a modified article supporting strap arrangement, and

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective View of the detacha .le ends of the straps shown in Figure 11.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral ill designates the body of the garment which is preferably of the sleeveless type with armholes ll providing substantial freedom of action of the arms of the wearer. The body of the garment may be made of any suitable fabric and preferably comprises an outer fabric cover I2 (Figures 6 and '7) and an inner lining 13 of any desired type. The garment may be provided with a neck opening M of the V-type as shown in Figure 1 and the front opening of the garment may he closed by any suitable fastening means, for example, by a slide fastener 15 (Figure l).

The garment is preferably provided with a plurality of front pockets I6 as is common practice in a garment of this type and these pockets likewise may be closed by slide fastener if desired. The back of the garment is preferably provided with a large pocket I? (Figure '7) to which access may be had through openings l3 to each side of the center of the garment and preferably under the armholes as shown in Figures 3 and 5, and the openings l8 likewise are provided with slide or similar fastening means. The back of the garment may be box pleated as at l9 (Figure '7) to provide freedom of action in the back of the garment and to enlarge the capacity of the pocket l1.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the lower edge of the garment terminates approximately at the waist line of the wearer and such edge portion of the garment is provided with a belt structure indicated as a whole by the numeral 20. This belt structure and its relation to the garment are highly important features of the invention. The belt structure comprises a belt proper indicated by the numeral 2| and of substantial width throughout the greater portion of its length. In practice, the central portion of the belt 2| is preferably approximately 2 inches in width, although it is obvious that the particular width of the belt is of no special importance. It is preferred, however, that the belt be wider throughout the greater portion of its length than is customary in a garment belt, and the two ends 22 and 23 of the belt are reduced to approximately an average wide-belt width. The end 22 is provided with a buckle 24 which may be of conventional type, while the end 23 is provided with perforations 25 to be engaged by the shank of 1' the buckle 24 in the usual manner.

The upper edge of the wider portion of the belt is preferably stitched throughout its length as at 26 to the body It! of the garment. The lower edge of the belt is provided with two sets of stitchings 21 and 28 which are identical with each other and each has its remote end terminating approximately in vertical alignment with the terminations of the stitchings 26 and these points are spaced from the adjacent side edges of the garment so that the ends 22 and 23 are free from the garment for easy manipulation and to permit the desired adjustable fastening of the end 23 to the buckle 24. The sets of stitchings 2'! and 28 are in alignment with each other, and they terminate at points 29 and 3E! spaced on opposite sides of the center of the back of the garment as shown in Figure 5.

Adjacent the ends 29 and 3B of the lower belt stitchings 2? and 28 the belt 2| is provided with spaced housings 3! and 32 secured thereto, each of these housings having a flap 33 adapted to be secured in closed position by a separable fastening device The space between these housings may be utilized by providing upper and lower cartridge-receiving loop straps 35 which are secured to the belt 2| but not to the body of the garment. As previously stated, the central portion of the belt 2| is not secured at its lower edge to the garment ID as is the upper edge of the belt, thus permitting the operator to slip his fingers beneath the garment and between the body of the garment and belt 2| for a purpose to be described. Preferably the lower edge of the belt 25 is unstitched from the center of the back of the garment to points just beyond the housings 3| and 32.

Between each housing 3| and 32 and the adjacent side edge of the garment the belt 2| is slotted as at 35 and an article-carrying strap 31 is threaded through the slots of each end portion of the belt 2|. Between the outer extremities of the upper and lower lines of stitching the straps 31 terminate at the points 38 and the adjacent end of each strap is stitched to the belt 2| as at 39. Thus the ends referred to of the straps 31 are securely anchored to the belt 2| and are effectively protected thereby.

From its stitched end, each strap 31 is interlaced through the slots 36 and the last of these slots for each strap 3'! opens into the associated housing 3| or 32 as shown in Figures 6 and 9. The belt 2| is preferably provided in each of the housings 3| and 32 with a pair of heads 40 of separable socket fasteners, the sockets for the fasteners being indicated by the numeral 4| (Figure 10) and being preferably five in number on the inner end of each strap 31. This arrangement provides for adjustably securing each strap within its associated housing 3| or 32 for a purpose to be described. It will be obvious from Figures 6 and 8 that the lines of stitching 26, 21 and 28 provide a tunnel 42 between the belt 2| and the body of the garment through which the straps 3'! may be threaded.

Instead of the arrangement referred to, wherein the ends of the straps 3'! provided with the separable fasteners terminate in the housings 3| and 32, the straps 31 may be lengthened so as to overlap within the tunnel 42 as shown in Figure 11, and the overlapping ends of the straps are respectively provided with a plurality of heads :23 and sockets 4-4 of separable fasteners so as to permit adjustable securing of the straps in overlapped relation.

Most accessories employed by big game hunters are provided with leather or similar casings and such casings are provided with attaching loops of one kind or another. For example, a leather flash light holding case 45 is illustrated in Figure 4 and is shown hanging from the belt in Figures 1 and 3. This particular accessory case is shown as having an attaching loop 6, although other accessory holders such as a pistol holster 41, an ax case 48, a cartridge case 49, a hunting knife scabbard 53, etc., may be provided with other types of attaching loops, but the loops of any accessory holding cases may be readily supported by one of the straps 31 by inserting the strap through the loops of such carrying cases.

In the use of the garment the separable fasteners 33-4| are disconnected and the straps 31 are unlaced with respect to the slots 36 to whatever extent is desired, depending upon how many accessory articles are to be connected to the belt. For example, assuming that three accessories are to be suspended from the right hand strap as viewed in Figure 5, this strap is unlaced back to the last slot 36 through which the strap extends to the stitching 39. The free end of the strap is then laced through the loop of the desired accessory case, whereupon the end of the strap is then inserted through the second slot from the right as viewed in Figure 5. By flexing the belt 3i to offset the third slot slightly inwardly, the

ing into the housing 32. The insertion of the free end of the strap into the housing is greatly facilitated by the downward opening of the tunnel adjacent the center of the back of the garmcnt. This arrangement permits the user to insert his fingers into the tunnel from the bottom of the garment to guide the end of the strap for insertion into the housing 32. Thereafter, any two of the sockets 4| (Figure 10) may be snapped over the two heads 40, whereupon the fiap 33 of the housing 32 may be closed.

The operation referred to may be repeated with relation to the strap 37 at the left hand side of the garment as viewed in Figure 5, as many accessory cases as desired being suspended from the left hand strap 31, within the limits of the capacity of this strap as determined by the number of pairs of slots 36 which are employed to provide outwardly extending loops in the strap 31. Obviously the free end of the left hand strap 31 is inserted into the housing 3| in the manner previously described, and the free end of the strap is snapped into fastened position, after which the flap 33 of the housing 3| is closed. Where the longer straps 3'! with overlapping ends are employed, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the desired accessory cases are attached to the two straps in the manner previously described, after which the separable fastener elements 43 and 44 are snapped shut, The plurality of separable fas" teners employed in each form of the invention is for the purpose of adjusting the straps in accord ance with the length of each strap 37 taken up by the articles supported by the straps as will be apparent.

The provision of the parallel lines of stitchings 255 and 21 and 28 provides a tunnel through which the article-carrying straps 3! may extend in their interlaced relation to the belt 2i. As previously stated, the belt 2| may be approximately 2 /2 inches wide, in which case the straps 31 are preferably approximately 1 ,4; inches wide. These proportions of course, are purely illustrative but have been found highly practicable in actual use, straps 3'! of the width indicated being of ample strength to support as many articles as may be desired and at the same time possessing sufficient stiffness to facilitate the threading of the straps back forth through the slots 35. The stitching of one end of each strap 3'! as at 39 is preferred but is not essential. Snap fasteners or similar devices may be employed in place of the stitches 39, but in either case the ends of each strap 3i will be protected by the belt 2! from being engaged by any projection or the like which might tend to pull loose either strap 31. The detachable ends of the straps 3'5 are likewise completely protected in each form of the invention illustrated, The snap fasteners for the inner ends of the straps are preferably employed to permit easy attachment and detachment of such ends of the straps by the user. However, the inner ends of the straps are protected either by the housings 3i and in th form of the invention shown in Figures 6, 9 and 10 or by the belt 2!, in the form of the invention shown in Figures 11 and 12. In either case accessibility to the ends of the straps is provided by terminating the stitchings 2"; and 28 at spaced points to permit th fingers of the operator to be inserted into the central portion of the tunnel '52. In the form of the invention first described, this accessibility to the inner ends of the straps 3! permits them to be very easily inserted through the slots 36 leading into the housings 3! and 32 while in the form of the invention shown in Figures 11 and 12, the open bottomed central portion of the tunnel permits the operator to easily fasten the snap fasteners 53-44 within the tunnel 42.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present construction provides adequate and easily operated means for suspending any reasonable number of accessory cases from the belt 2! while the device which directly supports the accessory cases, namely, each strap 3! has its fastened ends fully protected against accidental disconnection from the belt. The tunnel arrangement provides easy means for lacing each strap 37! back and forth through the slots 36. In this connection, it will be noted that the material of the belt 2! slopes toward the body In of the garment on opposite sides of each strap 31, as shown in Figure 8, and this arrangement tends to cause each strap 3'! to slip through the tunnel centrally thereof to be thus guided in its movement and facilitate the flexing of the belt at each passage of the free end of the strap 31 outwardly through one of the slots 36.

It also will be apparent that the weights of the various accessories are transmitted to the straps 37 and from the latter to the belt 2!, and since this belt is fastened throughout the greater poriion of its length to the body of the garment, the weights of the accessories are thus transmitted to the garment and thence to the shoulders of the wearer to be supported efficiently and with no discomfort to the wearer as is usually true because of the chafing of the hip bones in the use of conventional belts.

The short length of the jack permits complete freedom of the lower limbs and it will be apparent that the structure of the garment does not interfere with the provision of ample pockets in the garment for the carrying of any desired articles. The housings 3! and 32 may act purely as protectors for the separable fasteners therein in the form of the invention first described, or they may be made sufficiently large as suggested in Figures 6 and 11 to serve as containers for any desired articles.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1'. A garment comprisin a jacket, a belt stitched throughout the greater portion of its length adjacent opposite edges thereof to said approximately the waist line thereof, the stitchings of the belt to the jacket being apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, said belt being provided between the stitchings thereof with transverse slits, and a load supporting strap threaded through d 5- whereb portions of the strap lie within -el and other portions of the strap are d outwardly of the outer face of the belt ction of articles thereto, said strap with respect to said belt anged between said belt and the body of garme it to be protected by the belt.

.4. garment comprising a jacket, a belt stitched thr ughout the greater portion of its length adjacent opposite edges thereof to said j; approximately at the waist line thereof, the stitchings of the belt to the jacket being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, said belt being provided between the stitchings thereof with transverse slits, a load supporting strap threaded through said slits whereby portions of the strap lie within said tunnel and other portions of the strap are arranged outwardly of the outer face of the belt for the connection of articles thereto, said strap having one end secured with respect to said belt and arranged between said belt and the body of the garment to be protected by the belt, and separable fastening means for securing the other end of said strap with respect to said belt.

3. A garment comprising a jacket, a belt stitched throughout the greater portion of its length adjacent opposite edges thereof to said jacket approximately at the waist line thereof, the stitchings of the belt to the jacket being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, said belt being provided between the stitchings thereof with transverse slits, a load supporting strap threaded through said slits whereby portions of the strap lie within said tunnel and other portions of the strap are arranged outwardly of the outer face of the belt for the connection of articles thereto, said strap having one end secured with respect to said belt and arranged between said belt and the body of the garment to be protected by the belt, a housing carried by said belt, and separable fastening means having a pair of elements one fixed within said housing and the other carried by the other end of said strap whereby the latter may have upper edge to said jacket and being stitched along ,5

its lower edge with the lower edge stitchings separated at a point within the length of said belt to provide access at such point to the space between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, the upper and lower stitchings of said belt being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portions of the jacket, said belt being provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with transverse slits, and a load upporting strap threaded through said slits whereby portions of the strap lie within said tunnel and other portions are arranged outwardly of the face of said belt for the connection of articles thereto.

5. A garment comprising a jacket, a belt stitched throughout the greater portion of its upper edge to said jacket and being stitched along its lower edge with the lower edge stitchings separated at a point within the length of said belt to provide access at such point to the space between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, the upper and lower stitchings of said belt being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portions of the jacket, said belt bein provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with transverse slits, a load supporting strap threaded through said slits whereby portions of the strap lie within said tunnel and other portions are arranged outwardly of the face of said belt for the connection of articles thereto, one end of said strap being fixed with respect to said belt between said belt and the adjacent portion of the garment, and separable fastening means for securin the other end of said strap with respect to said belt.

6. A garment comprising a jacket, a belt stitched throughout the greater portion of its upper edge to said jacket and being stitched along its lower edge with the lower edge stitchings separated at a point within the length of said belt to provide access at such point to the space between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, the upper and lower titchings of said belt being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portions of the jacket, said belt being provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with transverse slits, a load supporting strap threaded through aid slits whereby portions of the strap lie within said tunnel and other portions are arranged outwardly of the face of said belt for the connection of articles thereto, one end of said strap being fixed with respect to said belt between said belt and the adjacent portion of the garment, a housing carried by said belt, one of said slits lying within said housing, and a separable fastener having a pair of elements one fixed within said housing and the other fixed to the other end of said strap whereby the latter, projectin through said last named slit, is engageable with the first named element of said separable fastener.

'7. A garment comprising a jacket, a belt stitched throughout the greater portion of its upper edge to said jacket and being stitched along its lower edge with the lower edge stitchings separated at a point within the length of said belt to provide access at such point to the space between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, the upper and lower stitchings of said belt being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portions of the jacket, said belt being provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with transverse slits, a pair of load supporting straps each threaded through a plurality of said slits whereby a portion of each strap lies Within said tunnel while other portions lie outwardly of said belt for the connection of articles thereto, and separable fastening means for securing the adjacent ends of said straps together adjacent said point of access.

8. A garment comprising a jacket, a belt stitched throughout the greater portion of its upper edge to said jacket and being stitched along its lower edge with the lower edge stitchings separated at a point within the length of said belt to provide access at such point to the space between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, the upper and lower stitchings of said belt being spaced apart a substantial distance to provide a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portions of the jacket, said belt being provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with transverse slits, a pair of load supporting straps each threaded through a plurality of said slits whereby a portion of each strap lies within said tunnel while other portions lie outwardly of said belt for the connection of articles thereto, and separable fastening means for securing the adjacent ends of said straps together adjacent said point of access, the remote ends of said straps being secured with respect to said belt between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket to be protected by said belt.

9. A garment comprising a jacket having its lower edge terminating approximately at the waist line, a belt overlying the lower edge portion of said jacket, said belt having its upper edge stitched throughout the greater portion of the length thereof to said jacket and having its lower edge stitched to the jacket from points adjacent the side edges of the jacket to points spaced from each other adjacent the central portion of the lower edge of the jacket to provide a space for the insertion of the fingers into the space between said belt and the jacket, the upper and lower lines of Stitching of the belt being parallel to each other and spaced apart a substantial distance to form a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, said belt being provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with vertical spaced slits, and a load supporting strap threaded through said slits whereby portions of the strap lie within said tunnel and other portions are arranged outward- 1y of said belt for the connection of articles thereto, said strap having one end thereof projecting through one of said slits adjacent a side edge of the jacket to terminate between said belt and the body of the jacket and being secured with respect to said belt, and separable fastening means for securing the other end of said strap with respect to said belt adjacent the central portion of the lower edge of the jacket, the ends of said belt being reduced in width and projecting beyond the side edges of the jacket and being provided with means for securing them to each other.

10. A garment comprising a jacket having its lower edge terminating approximately at the waist line, a belt overlying the lower edge portion of said jacket, said belt having its upper edge stitched throughout the greater portion of the length thereof to said jacket and having its lower edge stitched to the jacket from points adjacent the side edges of the jacket to points spaced from each other adjacent the central portion of the lower edge of the jacket to provide a space for the insertion of the fingers into the space between said belt and the jacket, the upper and lower lines of stitching of the belt being parallel to each other and spaced apart a substantial distance to form a tunnel between said belt and the adjacent portion of the jacket, said belt being provided between the upper and lower stitchings thereof with vertical spaced slits on opposite sides of the space between the lower stitchings of said belt, a pair of straps each threaded through the slits to one side of the space between the lower stitchings of said belt whereby portions of each strap lie within said tunnel while other portions of each strap lie outwardly of the belt for the connection of articles thereto, the adjacent ends of said straps overlapping adjacent the space between the lower stitchings of the belt and being provided with separable fasteners for securing them to each other, the remote ends of said belt being reduced in width and projecting beyond the side edges or the garment, and being provided with means for securing them together.

11. A hunting garment comprising a waist belt provided at the back thereof with a pair of boxes spaced longitudinally along the belt, said belt intermediate each box and the corresponding end of the belt being provided with a series of aligned slits arranged in pairs, a pair of lacing straps permanently secured to the belt adjacent the respective ends thereof, each strap extending lengthwise of the belt and threaded through the slits between one of said boxes and the corresponding end of the belt and each having a free end extending into one of said boxes through a slit formed in the wall of said box adjacent the belt, and snap fasteners detachably securing the ends of said straps within the respective boxes.

ORLANDO C. HANEY. 

